At the end of April 2025, our team—Tomas Rosputinsky (CEO & Co-Founder), Jan Gabauer (XM Director), and Zuzana Vancova (COO)—packed their bags and flew to the sunny coast of Sitges, Spain, for PharmacyForum UK 2025, hosted at the beautiful Eurostars Sitges Hotel. Besides soaking in Mediterranean vibes, we brought something even sunnier: fresh CX strategies tailored for pharmacy businesses. Let’s review the main highlights from the event…
What Was PharmacyForum UK 2025 About?
The annual PharmacyForum is not your typical trade fair. This event brings together top-level decision-makers from UK and Irish pharmacy groups with suppliers who have innovative solutions to offer. The idea? Cut the fluff, skip the booths, and get straight to meaningful conversations through one-on-one meetings, keynote sessions, and networking over amazing food and sunsets.
Held over two days (28–29 April 2025), the agenda was packed with insights, from the future of pharmacy layouts to new tech in inventory management. Despite minor complications arising from a power outage across Spain, the hotel and event management excelled in adjusting the schedule and activities of the PharmacyForum over the two-day period.
Staffino on Stage: How to Use CX to Increase Revenue at Pharmacies
While the UK pharmacy retail market is heavily dependent on NHS funding and is 90% prescription-based, leaving little room for OTC sales compared to other parts of Europe, many progressive pharmacies are looking to diversify into services like free blood pressure tests. This could generate additional revenue. Given that UK pharmacies’ primary focus is on patient care and improved health outcomes, this strategy aligns perfectly with their philosophy.
Another unique aspect of the UK pharmacy market is that only a few large chains have implemented pharmacy loyalty programs. However, this doesn’t pose a significant challenge for sending post-purchase transactional surveys, as smaller chains use their internal data systems for medicine dispensing.
In our keynote session and one-on-one discussions, we shared insights on how pharmacies can convert patient feedback into a revenue-generating tool, in this case, by offering additional patient care services. We presented how Dr. Max, the leading pharmacy brand in Europe with 3,000 pharmacies and 20,000 employees, achieved growth by prioritising patient care. Motivating pharmacists with real-time positive patient feedback fostered a natural drive for positive behaviour, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and smarter service. This included offering relevant services and products, which resulted in a 25% increase in spend linked to improved service, a 15% increase in basket size, and a significant boost in patient satisfaction.
Using the Staffino CX platform, we showed how tracking service offering and quality in real time, recognising top-performing pharmacists and techs, and resolving patient issues quickly can drive foot traffic, increase service usage, and build long-term pharmacy loyalty. Staffino isn’t just about satisfaction surveys—it’s a performance-driven platform tailored to retail environments like pharmacies, where every pharmacist and customer interaction counts.
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We Met a Lot of Interesting People…
PharmacyForum’s format—pre-arranged one-to-one meetings—meant we didn’t just bump into people at random. Over two days, we sat down with decision-makers from pharmacy groups across the UK and Ireland, talking shop and exchanging ideas on how to elevate the pharma experience.
It was a pleasure meeting with Serzas Gucaga and Augustas Gucaga from PharmaMS (Management Solutions), our partner from Lithuania, as well as numerous other pharmacy leaders, including Chris Lo from Lo’s Pharmacy, Sean Flynn from Cohen’s Chemist, Mike Brown from Brown’s Pharmacy, Navinder Matharu from Alchemy Group, and Sunil Patel and Jainil Patel from Hollowood Chemists. Ian Strachan and Malcolm Harrison, CEO of CCA (Company Chemist Association), inspired us with their morning keynote session titled “Community Pharmacy, Doom or Dawn?” about the future of pharmacies in the UK.
It was also great to meet suppliers innovating in everything from robotic pill dispensers to retail design. Many shared a common pain point: how to innovate the UK pharmacy sector to make it more efficient and deliver the best possible service to local communities. That’s where our CX solution for pharmacies fits like a glove.
A Few Highlights from the Afterparty
After all the serious talks and strategic sessions, the event wrapped up with a retro twist: a 70s-themed dinner party at El Vivero Beach Club. Picture flared pants, funky beats, and business cards exchanged between all the fun conversations. It was the perfect setting to unwind, network, and see industry leaders let loose.
Final Word
PharmacyForum 2025 was more than an event—it was a hub of ideas, connections, and a few great laughs. We’re proud to have been part of it, to share what a great patient experience can really do for pharmacies, and to learn from others shaping the future of the sector.
Big thanks to OpenRoom Events for organising and to everyone who sat down with us. If you missed our talk or want to explore how Staffino can improve your pharmacy’s performance through CX, get in touch—we’re just one message away.
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